Folding bathing cabinet



' 2' Sheets-Sheet L (No Model.)

B. A. HO RNING. FOLDING BATHING CABINET. I

Patented May 13, 1884.

No. 298,585. m

M a m M W ATTORNEYS- N, PETERS. PhuIo-ljuugnphu. Washington. D. C.

(No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. A. HORNING.

. FOLDING BATHING CABINET. No. 298,585. Patented May 13, 1884.

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, WITNESSES: INVBNTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

NITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

ROBERT ALLEN HORNING, OF LANARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF ANDCHARLES S. DAME, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING BATHING CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,585, dated May 13,1884.

Application filed April 30, 1883. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT A. I-IORNING, of Lanark, in the county ofCarroll and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved FoldingBathing-Cabinet, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

I The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved portablebathing-cabinet or shower-bath, which can be folded very compactly, canbe erected easily and rapidly, does not occupy much space, and can beused for sprinkling baths and shower baths of all kinds.

The invention consists in a bathing-cabinet constructed of a foldingsack or tube attached to a base -board, and having a perforatedsprinkling-tube attached to its upper edge, and which sack or tube canbe held raised by lazy-tongs secured to the base and to themeper end ofthe tube or sack, which lazy-tongs can be locked in position by means ofa suitablelocking device. Aswinging tubular arm carrying a rose orsprinkler on its outer end is mounted 011 the perforated tube, andeither the said sprinkler or the perforated tube can be connected to ahose leading to a pump projecting down through the bottom of thecabinct, as hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed out in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional eleva tion of my improved foldingbatliingcabinet, showing it erected. Fig. 2 is a side View of the same.Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a plan view of thesame. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of thewater-sprinkling tube.

A base plate or board, A, which maybe circular, rectangular, square, oroblong, is supported by legs 13, which are of such height that a pail,O, can be placed below the baseboard. A sack or tube, D, made of rubber,water-proof canvas, oil-cloth, or any analogous material, has its lowerend attached by a hoop or otherwise to the edge of the baseboard A, andis stiffened by a series of horizontal rings, E, made of wood, metal, orother suitable material, and attached to the inner surface of the sackor tube. To the upper edge of the tube a pipe, F, of the same shape asthe base A, is fastened, which tube F is provided with a series ofperforations, a, through which water can issue. By this construction itwill be seen that the tubular ring F serves the double purpose of asprinkler and a means for holding distended the upper end of the tube orsack D. The perforations a are arranged in the lower part of the innercurved side of the tube, so that the water ejected through the saidperforations will be inclined downward toward the interior of the sackor tube at an angle of about forty-five degrees. tube, F, projectsdownward from the tube F,

to which tube F a hose, G, can be coupled, which is connected withafoot-pump, H,which will be described hereinafter. A standard,F,projects upward from the tube F, and on the same a tubular horizontalarm, J, is held to turn, so that it can be swung over the upper openingof the tube or sack or outside of the same.

To the free end of the tube J a sprinklingrose. J, of the usualconstruction, is secured.

To the horizontal arm of the pipe J a downwardly-projecting pipe, K, isconnected, to which pipe K the hose G can be coupled, if desired. At thetube F an arm, L, )rojects outward from the top frame of the tube orsack, to the outer end of which arm L acrosspie'ce, L, is fastened,which serves as a towelrack. Lazy-tongs M have their upper end pivotedto a block, M, on the upper end of the inner side of a bar, N,projecting downward from the arm L, and have their lower end pivoted tothe bottom of one of the legs B of the base A, and the said leg isprovided with guides b, forming a longitudinal slot, A, in which thepintle b of the second crossjoint of the lazytongs can slide, wherebythe lower part of the lazy-tongs will be guided vertically.

To the second cross-joint of thelazy-tongs, at the upper end of thesame, a guide-loop, B, is secured, through which loop a bar, N, can passvertically, whereby the upper end of the lazy-tongs will be guided. Alever, 0, pro vided with a handle, 0, is pivoted to the upper end of oneside of the bar N, against which it rests, and passes through theguideloop B. The said lever O is provided in its outer edge with aseries of notches, d, which form shoulders adapted to catch on thecrosspiece of the guide-loop B, and thus hold the lazy-tongsand the sackor tube in the desired position.

The foot-pump H consists of a cylinder, H, projecting downward from thebase-board A,

' and provided at its lower end with an upwardly-opening checlevalve, h.The piston I fitting in the cylinder H, is provided at its lower endwith an upwardly-opening checkvalve, 1), and at its upper end with abulb, Q, which is provided with a side tube, Q, to which the hose G iscoupled. A spiral spring, R, surrounding the piston P, presses the sameupward. The cylinder H is provided at its upper end with an annularhorizontal flange, g, which is provided on its edge with a packing-ring, Z, which rests on the surface of the base-board A. Thebaseboard A is provided with a series of grooves, m, all of which leadto the opening through which the cylinder H is passed, so that when thecylinder is removed the water collected on the base-board A can flowthrough the said opening into a pail placed below it. A stool, S, isattached to the upper end of a rod, S, fitting in a tube projectingdownward fromthe bottom of the baseboard A. The rod S is provided on oneside with a notch, 5, into which a spring-catch, t, snaps, and thusholds the rod S. raised. The base-board A can be provided with handles Ufor transporting it.

The operation is as follows: If the bathingcabinet is to be used, apailof water is placed below the pump-opening, and the cylinder H of thepump is passed down through the opening into the said pail until thepacking Z of the flange 9 rests upon the base A, and then the hose G iscoupled to the pipe F or to the pipe K. The upper edge of the tube orsack D is raised to the desired height, whereby the lazy-tongs will beextended and then looked in position by pressing on the handle 0, sothat the lever O swings outward, thus permitting one of the shouldersformed by means of the notches d to engage with the cross-piece of theguide-loop B. By means of the lever O the tube or sack D can be lockedin position at any desired height. If'a shower-bath is required, theupper end of the hose G is coupled to the tube K, and then all the waterwill pass through the tubular arm J and through the sprinkling-rose J atthe end of the same. If the water is to be ejected through the ring Fand sprinkled against the sides of the body, the upper end of the hose Gis coupled to the lower end of the tube F, and then all the water raisedby the pump will be forced into the tubular ring F. By raising the upperend of the sack 'or tube higher or lower, the water can be ejectedthrough the apertures a. of the ring F on different parts of the body,

as may be desired. The pump is operated by pressing down the plunger orpiston with the foot, and then permitting it to be pressed upward by thespring B. After the water has been pumped out of the pail C, it can bepermitted to flow back and be used a second time, and so on. The stool Scan be raised when desired, and forms a convenient seat for the persontaking a bath.

\Vhen not in use, the bathing'cabinet can be folded very compactly, soas to occupy very little space, and can be carried to any room which isheated up, so that the person taking a bath will not take cold. Thefolded bathing-cabinet can easily be stored under a bed or in any othersuitable place.

The sack or tube also; protects the person while drying, so that hecannot catch cold from drafts; &c.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire .tosecure by Letters Patent 1. In a folding bathingcabinet, thecombination, with the base A, folding tube or sack D, having its lowerend secured thereto, and means, substantially as described, for raisingand lowering said tube and locking it in any desired position, of thetubular perforated ring F, attached to the inside of the mouth of thetube D, and serving the double purpose of a sprinkler and means fordistendi ng the mouth of the tube D, substantially as shown anddescribed. r

2. In a folding bathing-cabinet, the combination, with the base A,folding tube or sack D, having its lower end secured thereto, tubularperforated ring F, attached to the inside of the mouth of the tube D,and means, substantially as described, for raising and lowering the tubeD and looking it in any desired position, of a foot-pump provided with ahollow piston, and tube G, connecting the pump with the perforatedtubular ring F, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a folding bathing-cabinet, the combination, with the base A, ofthe folding sack or tube D, attached to the same, the lazy-tongs M,attached to the base and to the top of the tube, and of the notchedlocking-lever 0, substantially as herein shown and described, and

.for the purpose set forth.

4. In a folding bathing-cabinet, the combination, with the base A andthe folding sack or tube D, of the lazy-tongs M, attached to the baseand to the top of the tube, the guidebar N, provided with the loop B,and the notched locking-lever O, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, and for the purpose set forth.

ROBERT ALLEN HORNING. Vitnesses:

D. W. DAME, O. E. OLMSTED.

